FMX 2020: Women in VFX and Animation News

VFX Online February 29, 2020, 6:55 am 1.5k Views

FMX 2020: Women in VFX and Animation News

At FMX 2020, we will set a focus on women in VFX and animation – some of whom we present in this newsletter. Our list of FMX 2020 speakers on our website is getting longer and longer. If you haven’t bought your ticket already, this is the perfect time to do it now – discounted early bird tickets are available until March 13, 2020 in our ticket shop! Once you have got your ticket, you can start planning your personal FMX schedule with our official FMX 2020 App – it will be available for iOS and Android starting April 1, 2020. Furthermore, have a look at the second trailer Mulm.

Arrow Women in the VFX and Animation Community

More and more women set vital impulses in the digital creative industries. Read more about some of the women who contribute to making FMX such an outstanding event – and in some cases have been doing so for many years.

Jody Madden, Chief Executive Officer at Foundry, an FMX 2020 Main Partner, has been instrumental in leading the company’s growth since joining them in 2013. Prior to Foundry, Madden spent more than a decade in technology management and studio leadership roles at Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm, and Digital Domain after graduating from Stanford University.

“In this 25th anniversary year, FMX is more important than ever, as this is where education and industry intersect to inspire one another. I believe this connection is critical to continue solving the problems that will allow our next generation of artists bring incredible ideas to life, and ensure we can all realize our imagined tomorrows together.”

At FMX 2020, Shelley Page, Animation Talent Consultant at Locksmith Animation in London, will curate the N.E.W.S. track, which invites remarkable filmmakers and studio founders from India, South Africa, Europe and the USA to share their creative journeys and their collaborations with studios and producers located far from their country of origin. Shelley will also present many of her favourite short films from the last 20 editions of her Eye Candy Show as The Best of the Eye Candy Show!

“Nearly 20 years ago, FMX invited me to present my very first Eye Candy Show – which gave me the wonderful opportunity to showcase the amazing talent of some very recent European graduates. Since then, many of those same young filmmakers have gone on to build brilliant careers – as well as becoming much valued friends and colleagues. I hope and expect that, in the future, I will discover many more exceptional young artists, animators, directors, VFX artists, game designers, VR creators and others, and, if I am very fortunate, I will be lucky enough to work with them one day!”

Stefanie Larson, Cluster Manager of the Animation Media Cluster Region Stuttgart (AMCRS), will host a panel presenting the perspective of women in the industry. She will invite Matisse Gonzalez Jordán (Animator, Illustrator and Director, Gravedad, working closely with Studio Seufz), and Angela Steffen (Studio Film Bilder, Director and Animator, Patchwork Pals), who both graduated from Filmakademie’s Animationsinstitut, as well as Kate Forsdick (M.A.R.K. 13, Line Producer, Vic the Viking: The Magic Sword; Production Manager, Maya the Bee 2: The Honey Games), Claudia Marvisi (Pixomondo, Texture Lead and Texture Artist, Midway, The Mandalorian), and Julia Smola (VFX Producer/Scanline VFX, Charlie’s Angels, X-Men: Dark Phoenix). They will present their work, discuss what influences them, what they would wish for themselves and other women in the industry, and what the FMX theme Imagine Tomorrow means to them.

“We need to trust in the fact that an idea needs space but also time to unfold. Though we do have numerous technical possibilities which are available to us today and tomorrow, it is essential to not rush or even possibly replace such a significant process.”

Shoko Hara will give a talk in the track The Quest for Young Talent. She works as Freelance Motion Designer and Animation Director for commercials and music videos. At FMX 2020, she will present Just A Guy, an animated documentary short film about love. Three women share glimpses of their affection, attraction and relationship with Richard Ramirez, a serial killer and rapist they contacted after he was convicted in the 80s. Shoko studied Motion Design at Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg. Her diploma project, the animated short What They Believe has been awarded as Best Student Film at Animafest Zagreb 2016.

“Many people are scared of the future for political, economical and social reasons. Thus it is important to actively influence the future and make it better. This means being aware of the past and the present, even getting inspired by traditions. Combining these with your own vision is a key ability to develop something new and relevant. As an animation director, you have a huge chance to broaden society’s view and thus nurture new opinions and discussions. It is all about courage and communication.”